


Almond Joy

by ArcticLucie



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Zombie Apocalypse, Blow Jobs, First Dates, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Rickyl, hospital hand jobs, nurse!Eric is sassy af, way too many nut puns
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-28
Updated: 2017-08-28
Packaged: 2018-12-20 19:38:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11927844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArcticLucie/pseuds/ArcticLucie
Summary: Rick and Daryl's first date goes awry, but after a trip to the ER, things start to look up.(And bythangs, I mean their dicks.)





	Almond Joy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [VulgarSequins](https://archiveofourown.org/users/VulgarSequins/gifts).



> JFC I forgot how to post shit on here.
> 
> Anyway, long time not post, but I was determined to finish a thing. And I finally fucking did. Here have this "bust a nut" fic.
> 
> I have to give HUGE hugs to VulgarSequins, who not only gave me this idea over a month ago, but who has been so patient while I wrote it, and gave me lots of inspiration and good shit to put in it. Also my lovely bff lilvixen25 who read over the first half and assured me I hadn't lost my touch. And also MermaidShenaz who flailed with me over the Eric bits. And finally Rickyllover who is always so amazing and encouraging and who knows what fic is coming next. ;)
> 
> Enjoy!

Rick had a date, first one since the divorce, which explained the knots pretzeling up his insides. However, the sweaty palms he kept wiping on his jeans as he paced the kitchen had more to do with the person he expected to pull up in his driveway at any second rather than the date itself.

Because Daryl Dixon, the shaggy haired mechanic that serviced all of King County’s police cruisers—and _serviced_ Rick in a few steamy late night fantasies—had asked _him_ out. He had no idea Daryl even swung that way, but most people could probably say the same thing about him.

Truthfully, he’d had his eye on Daryl for a while now, even before Lori served him the papers. He used to feel guilty about that, about checking out on her long before their marriage had reached the point of no return, but then he found out about her affair with his best friend, and well, that changed his perspective. Besides, he never thought in a million years that anything would happen between him and Daryl.

So when Daryl asked him out, he went blank. All brain function ceased, his reply nothing but a string of incoherent gibberish. Not his finest moment, he’d admit. But by the time he’d regained his ability to speak words, Daryl had hightailed it out of the garage, probably cursing Rick’s very existence with every step. When Rick caught up to him, he looked as angry as a wet cat and twice as embarrassed, but after several apologies—and a little more stammering than Rick would’ve liked—they made themselves a date.

Now all Rick had to do was wait.

*****

Daryl should’ve known better than to go out on a date with a cop. The tiny voice inside his head that sounded a lot like his asshole brother kept telling him it would only end in disaster, but he shook it off, mustered up all his courage, and asked Rick if he wanted to go for a drink sometime. He could’ve passed it off as a friendly invitation if things went sideways—though he couldn’t exactly call Rick a friend.

Up to that point, Daryl only had his underutilized gaydar to rely on, and it liked to make him think Rick took notice when he’d bend under the hood of a cruiser or _accidentallyonpurpose_ drop a wrench he’d have to make a show of picking up. Or that Rick kept intentionally fucking up his cruiser as an excuse to stop by. Either that or he had really shitty lucky with cars.

And yes, maybe they’d eye fucked—which Glenn liked to tease him about—a time or two, whatever the fuck that meant, but his gut feeling had him taking a gamble, and much to his surprise, it paid off when Rick agreed to grab a drink with him.

Which meant he had a date.

With a cop.

He kind of wished his daddy had lived to see the day. It would’ve pissed him off something fierce. Daryl didn’t believe in supernatural shit, but he still gave serious thought to the possibility that the sonofabitch snuck up from the depths of hell to hide his favorite shirt. He tore the house apart looking for it before he gave up and settled on the only clean one he had in his closet. Long sleeves in July sucked sweaty balls, but he had no other choice.

Strike one.

Then his bike wouldn’t start.

Strike two.

He had to change out a spark plug, which made him twenty minutes late, but he thought it was worth it when he pulled into Rick’s driveway and the man came strutting out in the luckiest pair of Levi’s he’d ever laid eyes on. Daryl wanted to take him inside and peel them right off, but he didn’t want to get ahead of himself just yet. Instead, he checked out Rick’s ass when he led them up the walk.

“Ya want a beer or somethin’ before we go?” Rick asked. “I mean, I know we’re goin’ to a bar so askin’s kinda stupid—”

“A beer sounds good,” Daryl replied as he looked around the living room, careful to avoid the photos of a once-happy family still displayed above the fireplace.

“Kitchen’s this way.”

Daryl nodded and followed him further into the house, making sure to appreciate the view when Rick reached in the fridge for a couple of beers. He looked away before Rick straightened. He might’ve been redneck trash, but unlike Merle, he had manners. And of course growing up in a small Southern town had pretty much conditioned him against overtly checking out men. Even ones he had dates with. He’d gotten his ass beat enough growing up.

“Help yourself,” Rick said.

“Hmm?”

Rick smiled and gestured toward a plate on the table. Daryl hadn’t exactly noticed it. More important thoughts had taken priority. Like how well Rick’s shoulders filled out his painted-on plaid shirt. He wondered if Rick would mind him popping off a few of its buttons. Or biting ‘em off with his teeth.

“Yer eyein’ the cookies,” Rick added.

“They look good.” But Rick looked better. “What kind are they?”

“Oatmeal raisin. Carol, my neighbor, made ‘em. She bakes a lot.” Rick sat the beers on the table and picked up the plate, pulling back the cling wrap to offer Daryl a cookie. “They’re really good. You’ll love ‘em.”

Daryl didn’t care much for sweets, but he couldn’t say no to Rick. Or cookies. So, he grabbed one and bit into it, the sugary treat exploding with flavor. He shoved the rest of it in his mouth, mindful to slowly pull out his thumb when he noticed Rick’s eyes focused on his lips. Of course that had him taking two more cookies and repeating the motions.

And if he had any lingering doubts about Rick’s sexuality, that look of thirst chased them away.

But unfortunately… the cookies were strike three.

*****

Rick had a thing for Daryl’s hands. He couldn’t help it. Maybe the fact that he used them to fix things had something to do with it, but Rick kind of wanted them all over him, pressing into him, leaving bruises on his hips, and tangling themselves in his hair. Yeah, he really liked Daryl’s hands. And even though he knew Carl would throw a fit, he considered letting Daryl eat all the cookies just to watch him lick the crumbs off his fingers.

Daryl cleared his throat, signaling the end of the show, and Rick only felt a little bit pervy when he realized Daryl had caught him staring. Daryl didn’t seem to mind though, and Rick wondered how much it would take to convince him to forgo the bar in exchange for some _Netflix and chill_. That’s what the kids called it these days, right?

The silence took a slight turn toward awkward, and Rick snatched one of the beers off the table as he searched for a conversation starter. “So, uh, ya fixed your bike?”

Daryl hummed an affirmative as he opened his beer. He drank about half of it in one go, and Rick lost his train of thought as he watched the way his Adam’s apple danced with each swig. Daryl coughed as he scratched his neck, the movement of his fingers capturing Rick’s attention. He felt heat rising under his collar and a fluttery warmth in his belly he thought he’d never feel again.

He hadn’t dated in ages, and despite his nerves, it felt good to hang out with someone whose company he actually liked—and whose company he definitely wanted more of. And even if they never said another word to each other all night, just sat around drinking beers, Rick knew he’d want to do it again.

“Want a ride?” Daryl asked, his voice dipping low and catching Rick off guard.

He swallowed hard as he nodded, because yes, he very much wanted a ride, and not just on the bike.

Daryl cleared his throat once more and took a few more pulls from his beer. His face looked as flush as Rick’s felt, but his demeanor started to change. That had Rick’s inner cop perking up. And when he noticed the red splotches on Daryl’s neck, warning bells struck up an ominous tune. “You okay?”

“What’s in those cookies?”

Rick gave a helpless shrug. “I-I don’t know, oatmeal, raisins, sugar?”

“Almonds?”

“I don’t know, but I can go ask Carol.”

Daryl nodded, and Rick hurried out the back door and across the lawn. He didn’t bother knocking on Carol’s door before entering, having lived beside her for years. “Carol?” he hollered as he zigzagged through the house, side stepping Sophia’s backpack before reaching their kitchen.

“Hi, Mr. Grimes,” Sophia greeted from the table.

He smiled at her before he turned to Carol. “Hey, what was in those cookies ya made us?”

“Um, oatmeal, raisins, sugar, eggs, flour, almond extract—”

“Almond?”

“Yeah, why?”

“My date—”

Carol squealed as her face lit up. “You have a date?”

“Yeah, but I think I might’ve poisoned ‘im,” Rick said as he turned to leave.

“Stay right here, baby,” Carol said to Sophia before rushing to catch up with him. “Is it the almonds? Is he allergic?”

“Not sure, but he ate a few cookies and now he doesn’t look so good.”

When they got back to Rick’s kitchen, Daryl looked even worse. His face and lips had puffed up, the red welts spreading across his jawline. The one Rick had wanted nothing more than to run his tongue over just moments before, but he might’ve just blown his one chance.

“My tongue ith itchy,” Daryl said.

“Please don’t tell me you’re allergic to almonds,” Carol said, a concerned look on her face.

Daryl nodded.

“Rick, got any Benadryl?”

“Let me check.” He rushed to the bathroom and fumbled through the medicine cabinet, sighing in relief when he found the small bottle in the very back. He felt horrible, and slightly horrified that he let Daryl eat so many damn cookies just because he enjoyed the show. Jesus Christ, so much for a second date, let alone the first.

“Daryl, ‘m so sorry. I had no idea,” he said as he handed over two small pink pills.

“Better give him three,” Carol insisted.

They watched Daryl wash them down with a few sips of beer, which meant his throat hadn’t closed up… yet, but Rick had seen enough allergic reaction cases in his time on the force to know that could change in an instant.

“Is your throat swellin’ up? Maybe you should take him to the hospital, Rick.”

“Yeah, I think I should.”

“’M fine,” Daryl insisted, but the hives must’ve migrated downward because he had a hand in his shirt as he scratched his chest.

“I’d feel a lot better if you went and got checked out,” Carol said. She busted out her innocent eyes, which Rick would have to thank her for later because it worked on Daryl like a charm. He scoffed at her but acquiesced. “Thank you… Daryl, was it? I’m Carol, Rick’s neighbor. Next time, I’ll make a special batch just for you.”

Rick promised he’d call Carol with an update later before ushering Daryl toward the front door. “I’m really sorry,” he said again as they climbed into his old jeep. “Tell me if ya have trouble breathin’ or anything like that.”

“Told ya ‘m fine… but my tongue is gettin’ kinda numb.”

Rick turned on his hazard lights and peeled out of the driveway. How could his first date in fifteen years have gone so terribly wrong in a matter of minutes? The prospect of a second date felt impossible now, but he didn’t want to think about that. First, they had to get Daryl some medical attention. And then maybe he’d try and think up a way to make things right.

*****

The first time Daryl ate almonds, he had hives for a week. Merle made fun of him and said he’d probably run through some poison ivy or something. The second time, he got hives plus an itchy mouth and realized he should probably never eat them again.

Third time… well, he couldn’t believe he’d fucked up the first date he’d actually looked forward to in years.

Rick kept apologizing, even though Daryl knew he had no way of knowing about his allergy. And the only reason he agreed to go to the hospital was because no one had ever offered to take him to an ER before. It kind of threw him for a loop that maybe someone could care that much about his sorry ass. But then again, he figured most cops got hard-ons from helping people.

By the time they pulled up in front of the county ER, he’d changed his mind. “Really, Rick, I’ll jus’ take some more Benadryl and sleep it off.”

“Anaphylaxis isn’t something you can sleep off, Daryl. ‘Sides, we’re already here. Might as well see what a doctor thinks.”

He wanted to protest, but one look at the worry in Rick’s sincere blue eyes and he caved like his throat probably soon would.

“What’s your emergency?” the receptionist asked in a bored tone when they walked into the small waiting room.

“My tongue ith numb,” he mumbled back.

“He’s havin’ an allergic reaction,” Rick clarified in what Daryl suspected was his cop voice. “He needs to see a doctor.”

The receptionist seemed to take more of an interest after that as she asked him about his symptoms. “Are you having difficulty breathing or swallowing, chest pains, nausea, vomiting?”

“No.”

She handed him a clipboard with some paperwork to fill out while they waited and motioned for them to have a seat in the chairs lining the walls. “The nurse will be with you shortly.”

“Thank you,” Rick said before leading Daryl to a spot in the corner. “Let me know if anything gets worse. I grabbed my badge just in case.”

Daryl tried to scoff at that but it morphed into a coughing fit, which had Rick jumping out of his chair in search of water. He rushed back with a little paper cone that he held up to Daryl’s lips to help him drink. Once he’d had his fill, he looked at Rick who had kneeled down in front of him, worry etched in the lines on his face, but Daryl failed to notice the gentle hand on his thigh until it disappeared, too lost in the deep blue pools looking up at him.

His heart stuttered, but he chalked that up some new reaction courtesy of Carol’s Almond Surprise Cookies. He could feel his heart pounding away in his chest, but he blamed that on the adrenaline racing through his veins. No use getting his hopes up when he knew Rick wouldn’t want to date someone who couldn’t even eat cookies without fucking something up.

“Daryl?” a man called, drawing both of their attention.

“He’s right here,” Rick said as he stood up.

“Y’all can come on back,” the man said.

“Ya want me to come back with you?” Rick whispered, and for a moment Daryl didn’t know what to say. So he just shrugged and let Rick interpret it how he liked, though he’d admit he relaxed a tad when Rick followed him back.

*****

“I’m Eric. I’ll be your nurse for tonight,” Eric said showing them to an exam room. “I’m gonna get your vitals and check you out— _over_ , and then we’ll see what the doctor has to say. Sound good?”

Rick’s eye did not twitch at that Freudian slip, but if anyone noticed the glare in his eyes, he’d blame it on the bright florescent lights.

“Prolly justh need some more Benadryl,” Daryl slurred. His face hadn’t swelled up anymore, but he sure sounded funny. Rick wouldn’t laugh though, not when he blamed himself for the whole debacle.

“Let’s hope so,” Rick said.

“So what exactly brings you in tonight, Daryl?” Eric asked.

“Almonds.”

“Almonds?”

“Well, we were on a date, and I offered him some cookies my neighbor made, which happened to have almond extract in them,” Rick said, making sure to stress the part about the date because maybe he didn’t like the way the nurse kept touching Daryl. Honestly, did he need to feel his wrist for a pulse? Don’t they have machines for that now days? “I didn’t know he was allergic, so now here we are.”

And yes, Rick very much noticed the way Eric’s fingertips lingered on Daryl’s pulse point.

“So he’s allergic to your nuts?” Eric asked.

And yes, Rick very much glared at him that time.

“What a shame.”

Eric looked right at Rick almost in challenge, and Daryl clearing his throat was the only thing that stopped Rick from strangling him with his own stethoscope. The one he’d just slipped under Daryl’s shirt.

“Cold,” Daryl yelped.

“Sorry, sweetie. Just take a few deep breaths.” Once Eric had ~~felt Daryl up~~ examined him, Eric pulled the stethoscope out and wrapped it around his neck. “So, how far down do those hives go?”

Rick scoffed at the cheeky lift of Eric’s brow, but he played it off as a cough when they both looked at him.

“Justh to my chest.”

“Hmm, okay. Well, the good news is your lungs sound good, but that could change if we don’t get the reaction stopped as soon as possible.” He made a note in Daryl’s chart before continuing. “How’s your gag reflex, Daryl? Or, uh, should I ask your date?”

“Wha?” Daryl sputtered, his cheeks turning even redder under the puffy hives.

“I just ask because if your breathing gets any worse, I might have to stick something down your throat to help you breathe… and unlike with him, I don’t think you’ll enjoy it.”

Eric winked at Rick, and he’d never felt so relieved not to have his gun on him, though he could probably find a scalpel near by if he looked hard enough.

“Okay, sit tight. I’ll be right back with the doctor,” Eric said as he turned toward the door.

“Can you believe the nerve of that guy?” Rick asked as soon as the door shut, hands finding his hips as he paced in the small room. He’d have to talk to the doctor about him and register a complaint or something.

“Ain’t that justh—watchcha call it—good bedside manner?”

“I told ‘em we were on a date and he starts hittin’ on ya? While you’re dyin’? Nah, that ain’t bedside manner.”

“I ain’t dyin’… yet,” Daryl said as he rolled his eyes.

Rick stopped in his tracks. He just had to make things even worse, didn’t he? “C-Course ya ain’t dyin’. I was jus’ talkin’ outta my ass.”

“I could refer you to a proctologist for that,” a man in a lab coat said as he walked in the door. His disarming smile had Rick’s nerves settling. “I’m Dr. Raleigh, but you can call me Aaron. And you must be Daryl.”

Daryl nodded.

Aaron took a seat on the stool and flipped through Daryl’s chart. “I heard you have a nut allergy. Have you had a reaction like this before?”

“Couple times, but not this bad.”

“Do you have an Epipen at home?”

Daryl shook his head.

“Hmm, I can prescribe one for you if you’d like. It might be handy to have in case this happens again, but avoidance is always best with any kind of food allergy.”

“I gave him three Benadryl before we came,” Rick said.

“Very good. And since you aren’t having any trouble breathing, I think we’ll just give you something to stop the anaphylaxis. Then we’ll keep you for a few hours just to make sure things are returning to normal. How does that sound?”

“Fine,” Daryl huffed.

“So he’s gonna be okay?” Rick asked, just to make sure.

“He’ll be fine. But you might want to keep an eye on him tonight to make sure the reaction doesn’t start up again.”

“Yeah, of course.”

“I brought the Epi,” Eric announce as he reentered the room carrying a needle and a small vial. “Bet you thought he’d be the one sticking something in your ass tonight, huh?” he said to Daryl, waggling his brows.

“ _Eric_ ,” Aaron hissed.

“What? I told you they were cute.”

Aaron looked flustered as he apologized. “Sorry about him. He’s harmless, I promise. And the shot will go in your arm, Daryl,” Aaron assured them.

“There isn’t exactly a plethora of gay people around here, _Doctor_. Forgive me for trying to have a little fun.”

“I think I can handle this on my own. Why don’t you take your break now,” Aaron said, shooting Eric a pointed look.

Eric gave a dramatic sigh. “Fine… I’ll be in the _on call_ room.” He leaned into Aaron, but Rick heard him whisper, “Come find me when you’re done. And this time I’m playing the doctor.”

Daryl must’ve heard too because he huffed out a wheezing laugh.

“You okay?” Rick asked, turning his attention back to his unfortunate date.

“Mhm, justh tired.”

“Guess the Benadryl is kicking in,” Aaron said. He gave Daryl the shot and told them he’d be back to check on him soon. “In the meantime, try and get some rest.”

“Thanks, Doc,” Rick said.

Daryl laid back on the exam table and Rick helped adjust his uncomfortable looking pillow. “I’m gettin’ kinda thirsty, so I’m gonna go see if they have a vending machine. Will ya be okay for a minute?”

Daryl nodded and closed his eyes. He looked pretty miserable, and Rick couldn’t help but feel terrible about the whole ordeal.

“Want anythang? An Almond Joy, maybe?” Rick teased, trying to lighten the mood.

A dull glare accompanied Daryl’s one-fingered reply, but instead of making Rick feel bad, it sparked a particularly graphic thought involving thick fingers and proctology roleplay. 

He blamed the doctor for that.

*****

Daryl hadn’t expected to actually fall asleep in the cold exam room, but he didn’t mind because he woke up to find Rick’s head resting on the bed—salt and pepper curls tickling his bicep—and a comforting hand laid gently across his own. He thought about threading their fingers together, but he didn’t dare move for fear of waking Rick.

The evening hadn’t gone to plan, but Rick hadn’t left him there either, hadn’t taken the first chance that came along to slip out on him, and that gave him a little kernel of hope that maybe he hadn’t ruined everything yet. And despite his body rebelling against him, which maybe he should’ve taken as a bad sign, he had to admit he’d had worse first dates.

The door creaked open, a sliver of white backlighting Eric as he tiptoed inside. “Oh, good, you’re awake,” he whispered. “I just need to check your vitals. Aaron wants you to stay another two hours just to make sure you don’t have a recurrence, and then we can get y’all on your way home.”

Eric hardly made a sound as he took his blood pressure and pulse ox. Daryl could tell the swelling in his face had gone down and the hives on his neck and chest didn’t itch as much. He felt ten times better than he did when they came in. He knew most people didn’t enjoy hospitals, but having Rick by his side made it tolerable, and to be honest, he’d stay there all week if it meant their date wouldn’t end because he had no idea if he’d get another one.

“Everything looks good,” Eric said, pushing the blood pressure machine out of the way. “Can I get you anything?”

“A second date,” Daryl replied without thinking. When he realized what he’d said, it had his throat threatening to close up all over again. And of course he’d been too distracted by Eric to notice Rick waking up until the hand on his started to tighten.

“Y-you wanna go out with me again?” Rick asked, the surprise on his face shining like a beacon in the dim light from the lamp in the corner. 

Daryl didn’t know what to say. It had taken everything he had to ask Rick out the first time. He didn’t think he could do it again, not after their planned night of drinking turned into a trip to the ER. But Rick had sounded hopeful, so maybe they’d get a chance to do it right before they went their separate ways.

“Hell yeah, he wants to go out with you again,” Eric answered for him, looking every bit like an overexcited puppy. “You can’t let a few bad nuts stop you from getting to the good ones.” 

Daryl chuckled when the nurse shrunk under the weight of Rick’s glare.

Eric hurried to the door. “I’m just gonna let you two talk.” He started to pull the door shut behind him but then swung it back open and added, “There’s rubber gloves in the drawer. Lube too. Have fun!”

“Oh my gawd, I’m gonna kill ‘im,” Rick growled.

“He’s jus’ tryin’ to help. Besides…,” Daryl took a deep breath before he continued, “he ain’t exactly wrong.”

“You wanna go out again?”

“If you’ll have me.”

“If _I’ll_ have you? Daryl, I poisoned you with cookies. I should be askin’ you that.”

“Ya didn’t know, Rick. And ‘m fine, so it’s not a big thing.”

Daryl’s breath hitched when Rick’s fingers slotting into his. “Daryl, will you go out with me again? On a second date, a proper date, one that I’m sure will be ten times better than this one?”

“I don’t know, Rick, I thought this one was startin’ ta turn around,” Daryl said with a smirk.

Rick grinned back. “Y’know I was thinkin’ the same thang, but I draw the line at fuckin’ with rubber gloves.”

“That mean makin’ out’s on the table?”

“Might be uncomfortable on the table, but if ya scootch over on the bed….”

Under normal circumstances, Daryl would never let that terrible dad joke fly, but he felt his cock stirring below a very different kind of fly and that very much took precedent. “Come on then,” he said as he rolled over on his side.

Rick climbed up beside him and wasted no time fusing their bodies together. He felt Rick’s breath ghost over his lips as his pulse shot through the roof. The seconds dragged on for years as the tension between them grew more stifling, but just as he gathered enough courage to make the first move, Rick beat him to the punch, pressing their mouths together in a gentle yet hesitant kiss.

“I’ve been wantin’ to do that for awhile now,” Rick admitted as he pulled back.

Daryl hoped Rick couldn’t see his bewildered expression in the dark. He’d harbored a stupid little crush on him for so long, but not once did he expect his feelings to be returned. “Yeah?”

“God, yes,” Rick breathed against his lips before surging forward and kissing him again. This time with a little more urgency and a helluva lot more heat.

Rick’s nails scraped against Daryl’s scalp when fingers tangled in his hair and it sent tremors racing down his spine. He felt a flush creeping up his neck for the second time that night, but the knee slipping in between his had him forgetting all about the almond incident, his mind fully encompassed by the hand skating down his back.

He arched into Rick when he squeezed his ass, and he let out a soft moan when Rick licked into his mouth. No one had kissed him like that in years, with so much lust, so much _want._ On second thought, no one had ever kissed him like that. And on third thought, with Rick’s cock pressed hard against his thigh, making out just wasn’t going to cut it.

“We jus’ gonna make out or what?” Daryl rasped.

“Ya said no fuckin’... but I’m pretty good with my hands.”

Daryl hummed. “Pretty sure WebMD said that was the quickest cure for what I got.”

Rick chuckled low, the heat from his breath cooling beads of sweat on Daryl’s neck. “What’s that, a hard on?”

“Yeah.”

“Mmm, so I guess I’m the one playin’ doctor tonight.”

Daryl could hardly hear the sound of his zipper over his pounding heart, but as soon as Rick’s fingers curled around his cock, his name on Rick’s lips could’ve drown out the sound from a thousand raging hurricanes. The smell of antiseptic dulled, overtaken by Rick’s cologne mixed with the unmistakable scent of sex.

“This okay?” Rick asked as his hand slid up the length of him, squeezing, and moving back down to the base.

“Mhm,” Daryl replied, not knowing what else to say. Rick’s fingers felt like magic on him, so he had no complaints. Even so, attentive lovers and Dixons didn’t exactly go together.

“Been awhile,” Rick admitted, but Daryl couldn’t tell.

Daryl’s moan pretty much spoke for itself when Rick swept a finger over the slit of his cock, gathering up precum to aid his movements. Then Rick starting kissing a path over his jaw and down to his neck, goosebumps peppering Daryl’s skin as he bucked into Rick’s hand, his knee providing Rick with some much needed friction as his breathing sputtered in Daryl’s ear.

He didn’t consider himself a selfish lover, so when he tried to unfasten Rick’s jeans and Rick pulled back—his crystal blue eyes transformed into black sapphires—Daryl wanted to protest. Because he wanted to feel the heat of Rick’s cock in his hand too, wanted to take him apart piece by piece so Rick could feel as amazing as he did in the moment.

“Nah, this is just for you, Daryl.”

“Rick—”

“It’s my official apology.”

“I told ya I don’t need an apologggyy,” he said, nearly crying out the last word when Rick made a wicked twisting motion over the head of his cock.

“Jus’ sit back and enjoy it. We’ll worry about me next time.”

“Next time?” Daryl breathed out.

“Yeah, next time,” Rick said.

Daryl liked the sound of that, and he very much liked the sound of Rick’s voice when he called him sexy. If his cheeks weren’t already red from the heat of their bodies and the remnant of the almond hives, he would’ve worried about Rick seeing him blushing like a fucking schoolgirl. Thank god for small miracles, and Rick’s fantastic hands. And lips. And the teeth raking slow and gentle along his pulse point.

A thud out in the hall had them both stilling, pulling them out of the moment, and reminding Daryl of their current surroundings. He wouldn’t give a shit if they got caught fucking in a bar, but a hospital was a different story, even with a cheeky nurse like Eric offering encouragement. “Maybe we should—”

“Yeah,” Rick agreed as he sped up his strokes.

Daryl wouldn’t have lasted much longer anyway, his body like putty in Rick’s daft hand. He felt the tension building with every twitch of Rick’s fingers over his hard length, smooth palm coaxing him further and further up to the edge of pleasure. And just before he could offer up a warning, his body went rigid as he spilt out in Rick’s hand.

“Fuck,” he gasped, his body rocked with the best orgasm he’d had in ages. He vaguely registered the press of lips up his neck while he regained his mental faculties. “Apology accepted.”

Rick chuckled at that. “Good.”

“Sure ya don’t want me to….”

“‘M sure, but you can kiss me some more… if ya want.”

Daryl scoffed and pulled Rick against him, his voice turning so dark and primal he hardly recognized it. “I want.” 

He felt Rick smile on his lips as the kissing resumed, each roll of their tongues more soft and lazy than the last, until neither could keep their eyes open any longer. The last thought Daryl had before sleep dragged him under was that eating those damn almond-laced cookies might’ve been the best thing to happen to him in years. And anaphylactic shock seemed a small price to pay for a fantastic hospital hand job.

*****

Rick startled awake when the door creaked open. He hissed in pain when Eric flipped on the lights and blinded him, but he had no room to complain when it had Daryl burrowing into his neck in an attempt to shield his eyes.

“Okay, you two lovebirds are free to go.”

“It’s about fuckin’ time,” Daryl mumbled as he rolled off the bed.

“Hopefully your first date was a memorable one here at the King County ER and spa,” Eric teased as he winked. “As much as we liked having you, please don’t come back on your second date.”

Daryl huffed out a laugh before rummaging around for his shoes. “Jus’ gotta stay away from nuts.”

“Not all of them, I hope,” Eric said, nodding toward Rick. “For his sake anyway.”

Rick caught a glimpse of the flush creeping up Daryl’s neck at Eric’s comment, but thankfully it had nothing to do with almonds this time. He shook his head as he sighed, slipping on his boots and deciding to let it go. Eric obviously meant well despite his unusual bedside manor.

“Here’s your discharge instructions,” Eric said, handing Daryl a packet of papers. “Come back immediately if you feel like you're having a recurrence of symptoms, but I think you’re probably out of the woods by this point. Just make sure to keep on eye on him tonight, Rick. Just in case.”

Like he would say no to that.

Eric showed them to the exit and bid them one last farewell before Aaron called for his assistance. When they made it out to the car, the clock read 3:12. He yawned as he started the engine, and they spent a quiet ride back to his house.

“You don’t really need to babysit me tonight. ‘M sure I’ll be fine,” Daryl said when they pulled into the driveway.

“You’re stayin’ here tonight. Doctor’s orders.”

“Rick, you already spent hours at the hospital with me, and you apologized a hundred times for somethin’ that wasn’t even your fault, so….”

“Well maybe I jus’ want an excuse to spend more time with you,” Rick blurted out before he had a chance to filter himself. He’d blamed sleep deprivation on that, but it was the god’s honest truth.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, I mean despite the part where I almost kill ya, I had a really good time tonight, an’ I guess I’m not ready for it to end just yet.”

Daryl turned to look out the window as he chewed on his thumb, Rick taking the opportunity to memorize the outline of his profile shimmering in the moonlight. It had been so long since anyone had excited butterflies in his stomach that it took him by surprise. He’d liked Daryl before. They’d chat over the hood of his cruiser and check each other out, but literally seeing him in a different light had Rick feeling settled for the first time since his divorce.

“I had a good time with you too, Rick.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Rick gave Daryl a shy smile when he finally looked back. “Good…. But there is one more thing I need to know before I invite you in to spend the night.”

“I’m clean.”

“Not that, I mean that’s good, and me too, but I was gonna ask if you’re allergic to anything else, so I don’t fuck up again.”

Daryl chuckled. “Not that I know of.”

“Okay then,” Rick said before climbing out of the car. Daryl followed him up the path mumbling something about sleeping on the couch, but Rick shot that down real quick. “I’ve already had my hand on your dick. I think we’re way past you sleepin’ on the couch.”

It took a little bribery with a bologna sandwich, but they both crawled into Rick’s bed just as the clock struck 4am. They’d had a long night, and Rick needed sleep. He didn’t even mind when Daryl somehow made him the little spoon, just so long as he was there in case Daryl needed him. Though having Daryl’s arms around him seemed like the perfect way to end their disastrous first date.

In the morning, Rick would make his super special apology pancakes, and they could start anew. But in the meantime, he’d delight in the comfort and warmth of Daryl draped around him like a blanket fresh out of the dryer and the soft cock pressed against his lower back that he very much wanted his ass to get to know on a _deeply_ intimate level.

***

Sunlight dancing on Rick’s face woke him. It took him a second to remember who belonged to the arm strewn across his chest, but he smiled to himself when the memory of their hospital tryst came flooding back to him. Daryl’s arms tightened when he wiggled, the scruff of his beard tickling Rick’s neck. Definitely something he could get used to waking up to.

“Mornin’,” Daryl said, voice gruff from sleep.

Rick’s dick responded before he did. “M-mornin’,” he replied then cleared his throat. “You sleep okay?”

“Mhm.”

The kiss on his neck had Rick’s toes curling and his bones turning to mush. His breath stuttered when Daryl’s hand skated down his chest, but he could’ve screamed when it took a detour toward his hip at the last second. He couldn’t say if Daryl was teasing him or just unsure, but he slid his hand up Rick’s t-shirt—rough fingers trailing slow through his happy trail—and he forgot how to think.

“Gonna let me pay ya back now?” Daryl ask, the tip of his finger dipping into the waistband of Rick’s boxers.

“Ya don’t owe me anythang.”

Rick thought he’d said the wrong thing when Daryl pulled away, but he soon found himself laid out on his back, wrists pinned above his head and Daryl’s thighs straddling his hips, his cock growing harder with every little twitch of Daryl above him. And oh mercy, he’d never been more turned on in his life.

“That ain’t what I asked.”

Daryl leaned down, his eyes falling to Rick’s lips. He anticipated a kiss, but his mouth felt as dry as cotton, not exactly sexy. “I should prolly brush my teeth first.”

The husky laugh Daryl let out had Rick’s cock aching. 

Daryl shook his head as he began to hike up Rick’s t-shirt. Instead of kissing Rick’s mouth though, he started marking a path down his chest, stopping only to give a teasing nibble on each of Rick’s nipples before continuing the journey downward. Daryl looked up and flashed him a salacious grin when he reached the top of his boxers, which had Rick tilting his head back because he didn’t want to make a complete fool out of himself by coming in his damn underwear.

He didn’t have much time to reign himself in though because the feel of Daryl’s breath on his cock had his whole body tingling. And before he had a chance to process what would happen next, the silky heat of Daryl’s mouth consumed him, his lips fitting perfectly around the head like they were made for sucking cock. 

Rick’s cock.

“Jesus, D-daryl,” Rick gasped when Daryl pulled off with a pop. 

He looked down and watched Daryl spit into his palm, gasping again when those fucking amazing fingers curled around him. Daryl drew his hand up his length, the slow drag igniting all Rick’s senses, before sucking him back into his mouth and devouring him almost to the base. Rick babbled out something incoherent when Daryl swallowed around him, and he absentmindedly wondered if anyone had ever died from a blow job. 

He couldn’t say he’d mind being the first.

Watching Daryl’s mouth moving up and down his shaft had Rick in sensory overload. “Dare, this… it’s too much. I’m gonna… fuck.”

“And I thought I was hard up,” Daryl said once he’d pulled back.

Rick wanted to ask why he stopped—or, more accurately, cry because he had—but Daryl didn’t give him a chance, or maybe he just forgot how to talk when Daryl licked a trail down the underside of his cock, tracing throbbing veins until he reached the _nuts_ Eric had spent way too much time talking about hours earlier. 

But Rick couldn’t remember his own name in the moment, let alone all Eric’s ridiculous jokes, not after Daryl sucked one of his balls into his mouth, tongue teasing circles that Rick swore he could feel from his head to his toes and in every nerve ending in between. He gripped the base of his cock to stave off his orgasm, because _nope_ he was not ready to come just yet.

Daryl huff out a laugh around him and opened wider, taking in both balls at once as he began to bob and suck on the sensitive flesh. Rick didn’t know if he could consider what happened at that as an out-of-body experience, but the sight of Daryl between his thighs, lips outstretched around him, and a tender hand working a languid pace over his cock had to count as some kind of religious experience at the very least.

“Daryl, I gotta—oh Jesus!” he shouted when Daryl thumbed over the slit of his cock, sweeping up beads of precome to aid his glide.

Rick had never begged in bed before, but he was getting pretty damn close to doing just that. Daryl must’ve sensed it too because he sped up his strokes and increased the intensity of all the wonderful things his wicked mouth was doing on Rick’s rapidly tightening balls.

He buried his hands in Daryl’s hair, pulling back the dark fringe both for a better view and because he needed _something_ to hang onto or he thought he might just floated the fuck away. Yep, definitely an out-of-body experience. Daryl was literally sucking the life out of him, and god only knew what would remain when they finished.

A few more tugs on his cock and he came with a shout of Daryl’s name and a litany of profanities as he painted his stomach with milky white ropes, his body arching up into Daryl in an attempt to wringing every last bit of pleasure from him. And all he could think about as his mind began to clear was how much he owed the best blow job of his life to a little bit of almond extract.

“That make us even?” Daryl asked, wiping a dribble of spit from his chin.

Rick managed to hum out a reply as he watched Daryl stalk up his body. He looked like a wild cat, lean and ready to pounce, so different than he looked in dingy coveralls, but Rick didn’t have time to appreciate his grace because Daryl leaned down and ran his tongue along a strip of come, collecting it on the tip and short circuiting Rick’s brain. 

Then Daryl kissed him—deep, dirty, and dizzying—until his lungs burned. They both broke away panting, bodies soaked in sweat and the sticky mess between them. And all Rick could do was stare up at him in a daze of post orgasmic euphoria and hope that this would lead to many, many, _many_ more fantastic blow jobs to come.

But now he needed a shower and breakfast.

“You like pancakes?” he asked as he let his fingers draw lazy patterns on Daryl’s arms.

“Depends. They don’t got almonds?” Daryl asked with the quirk of his brow.

“No, definitely not.”

“Good.”

Rick cleaned them up and they made their way to the kitchen for breakfast. Daryl scarfed down his pancakes, and since they both had the day off, they decided to lounge around Rick’s house for awhile. He had to admit it was the longest, most memorable first date he’d ever had. And even though it started off rocky thanks to Daryl’s unassuming nut allergy, at least they knew he had no such allergy to Rick’s.


End file.
